1. Field of the Invention
This invention concerns a method and a machine for adjusting the height of cardboard boxes(or crates), corrugated fiberboard or similar sheet material, with a square or rectangular cross section, for example, for shipping various goods and merchandise.
The technical domain of the invention is that of machines for processing, cutting, manufacturing or sealing of packaging materials or that of the manufacture or application of adjusting materials for such packing.
This invention is more particularly related to the height adjustment of boxes or crates used for preparing orders of a single item or multiple items, and more generally of boxes or crates in which the contents have variable volumes from one box to another. Boxes of this type are known to be made by machines using sheet blanks featuring different flaps that are glued together or held together by an adhesive bond.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98
Boxes are known that, after they are formed, consist of five sides, with a square or rectangular bottom and a girdling composed of four side walls. The well-known boxes of this type are called “American half-boxes”, “boats” or “bell boxes”. These boxes are, after they are filled, closed by a lid. One is familiar with lids that have four flaps that are turned down and glued together on the sides of the crate. Lids are also known in which the various flaps have previously been formed by proper fitting or gluing. These covers are inserted on the top of the case and united with the case by gluing, stitching or by a metal or plastic strap.
Boxes or crates are known that, after forming, consist of five walls, like the boxes previously described, and four top flaps. Each of these flaps is connected to one of the side walls of the case by a scored line. The known boxes of this type are called “American boxes”.
Once filled, these boxes are closed by folding over the four top flaps that are secured in position by glue, stitches or by a metal or plastic strap. The described boxes have the characteristic of providing a constant volume after manufacture and closure.
Several methods are applied by users or are integrated into the case-forming or case-sealing machines, for immobilizing the various objects, the unit volume of which will vary from one case to another.
Thermo-shrinkable plastic layers are known in which one or several sheets are sealed to the bottom or the side walls of the case while it is being formed. After the case is filled, these layers are folded over on the stack of objects, then shrunk by passing them through a heating tunnel. One is also familiar with polystyrene particles that are spread inside the case after it is filled to take up any unused space.
Also known are the inflatable plastic pockets that are arranged inside the boxes to fill up this unused space.
One is also familiar with the shredded cardboard or paper sheets of various shapes, placed inside the boxes to fill up any unused space.
Fastening sheets provided with flaps are also known, and these sheets are introduced in the case to contact the stack of objects. Then, the flaps are attached to the internal faces of the side walls of the case to ensure that objects are held secure.
These manufacturing methods have numerous drawbacks.
The securing methods are often burdensome.
The fastening devices, except when they are made from the same material as the packing itself, must be necessarily separated from the cardboard packing prior to any waste collection and potential recycling. On the other hand, the materials used are more often than not difficult to recycle. Such waste collection and recycling involve complex and very burdensome operations. Performing these operations is difficult and requires complex automated machines or a large number of man-hours. The cost of these operations is therefore high.
The shipped volume, which is the same as the volume of the manufactured case, is quite often much greater than the usable volume, which corresponds to the volume of the objects placed inside the case. The result is an increase in transportation costs of the boxes.
A method is also known to involve removal of the top section of the boxes, located above the stack of objects so as to reduce the height of the box to the usable height and to secure the objects by placing the top cover as close as possible to the top of the stack of objects.
This method also has some drawbacks.
Breaking down the box is a delicate task that entails the use of dangerous cutting tools.
The automatic removal of the top cut portion of the box is a difficult task that also generates a significant volume of waste that must be collected and disposed of.
Automating this process requires the making of complex machinery. The challenge therefore consists of providing a means to secure the objects inside the boxes used for packing and shipping packages with variable usable volume, and reducing the volume of these boxes as much as possible to this usable volume, without resorting to any fastening material and without removing a portion of material of this box, and without making any cuts to this box at all.